Mozambique is yet again ready to brace another cyclone following the devastation of Cyclone Idai which strike last month killing hundreds of people. Cyclone Idai made landfall near the Mozambican port city of Beira, packing winds of up to 177 km/h and bringing torrential rain which caused extensive flooding. It killed more than 1,000 people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
According to weather forecasters, cyclone Kenneth will make landfall on Mozambique’s coast on Thursday. The cyclone will is expected to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and waves of several meters to the southern African nation. The tropical storm is expected to contain sustained winds of 63-87 km/h (39-54 mph), which is equal to a hurricane of Category 3 to 4 strength in the Atlantic or East Pacific oceans. The latest storm could trigger flash flooding and landslides in Mozambique’s far north.
As per a cyclone report issued by a regional cyclone-monitoring center on the French island of La Reunion, cyclone Kenneth could also affect parts of southern Tanzania. The southern Tanzania authorities have already ordered evacuations of residents from low-lying areas and the closure of some schools and offices before the cyclone makes landfall on Thursday.
“We’ve decided to evacuate all residents of valleys and other low-lying areas, and we advise them to seek refuge at public spaces,” Mtwara regional commissioner Gelasius Byakanwa told reporters.
Mozambique’s National Institute of Disaster Management said that about 682,500 people could be at risk from the storm in the northern Cabo Delgado and Niassa provinces. It added that around 112,000 people were in areas where winds could be in excess of 120 km per hour.
Mozambique’s National airline LAM has already suspended flights between the capital Maputo and Pemba on the northeast coast as a precautionary measure against cyclone Kenneth. The government has also announced the closure of dozens of schools likely to be in the storm’s path.
